Originally Posted by IKE
I would argue that you need a "Stop Build Day" for a reason slightly different han what most are calling for. I have been involved in a lot of project related actitivites, and a lot of project related teams. Almost to a rule, there is a "last minute push" on the projects to meet deadlines. Sometimes the project is small, and the last minute push is a long day of effort. Sometimes an all-nighter. Sometimes a hard week. Sometimes a long tiring month.
Currently Build season is a 6 week push, and at the end of 6 weeks, msot teams have a fairly reasonable prototype that generally has some functionality. Giving them additional access points and time will imrpove the quality useability of that prototype, to an extent. If the access is too universal, and if the access is too open, then there will be a shift towards teams "changing the due date". While many argue this would be better, I actually think for a large portion of teams, this would be significantly worse.
There is a ton of proof in FRC that going to additional events and having more time post "stop build" will improve virtually every teams competitive performance. Many will argue (and have excellent proof) that more is better. I agree, but to an extent. My argument that the more is only better because you are leveraging a "stop build" to ensure a certain level of completion at that particluar date. While many would improve from an open season, I actually think an even larger chunk would do wo0rse at their first event. My proof of this are a lot of other design/build competitions that do not have such deadlines that just don't get done in time for the first event. I see this in OCCRRA, I see it in Vex. I see it at work. I saw it in solarcar. I saw it (and still do) in FSAE*. I think have an initial hard deadline, with some limited time afterwards actually improves the overall quality of submission and competition. I would like to see some improvements to the B&T system however.
I would personally keep the deadline as is, and do a "hands off week". Hug you family, feed the dog, ... hands off the robot in the bag. If you make a practice bot, go crazy, but for everyone else, get some rest.
I would then allow for 6 hours each week of unbag time weeks 1-7. This time can be used for practice, test and tune, fix what got broekn in the finals at the last event.. Whatever you choose. It is just that the robot can only be out of the bag 6 hours (or 4 or 78 or 12 or...), and no blocks shorter than 1 hour. FiM uses 2 hours, and it is a bit of a pain. 1 hour minimum would be more flexible and allow for practice.
In short, keep the "Stop Build", but allow for more test and tune windows. Test and tune windows should make it very hard to decide whether or not to do a practice bot. I personally believe 6 hours each week would be right around the level necessary to make it a hard decision.
*Less than 41/104 finsihed the endurance event. 15 did not compete in any of the dynamic events. There have been years with a much lower completion rate than those listed above.
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